Little-known Frenchman Philippe Dugeny played one of the rounds of his life to take the second round lead in the Digicel Jamaica Classic, in association with Sony Ericsson.

Dugeny carded a six under par 66 at the Half Moon Resort, Montego Bay, to lead the European Seniors Tour event by a stroke from Australian Terry Gale.

Argentina’s Luis Carbonetti, who took the first round lead with a stunning 63, and Jamaica’s Delroy Cambridge are a stroke further back.

“No mistakes, it was a perfect day!” said Dugeny, who is playing his first season on the Seniors Tour.

The Frenchman has only played in two events so far this year and finished well down the field but it is likely to be a bumper week for him at Digicel Jamaica Classic.

He fired seven birdies and just one bogey for a two round aggregate of eight under par 136. Only one player from France has won on the Seniors Tour before and that was Jean Garaialde in the 1992 Leman International Senior Trophy.

“I hope I can make it a special day for France in the final round,” added Dugeny, who went to the Seniors Tour Qualifying School twice before making it through last year.

Hovering on Dugeny’s shoulder is in-form Gale, who won last week’s Bosch Italian Seniors Open. The Australian dropped a shot on the 18th but was content with his performance.

“It wasn’t a bad day but not as good as yesterday. I forced a few shots but I am happy with the way I am playing,” said Gale, who fired a 69.

Gale birdied the first three holes but was unable to maintain the momentum reeling off eight successive pars before dropping a shot.

The Australian is a proven winner in the Caribbean having won back to back titles in Barbados and Tobago last year and has won a total of six titles on the Seniors Tour.

After breaking the course record with a 63 in the first round, which was one stroke more than the lowest round ever shot on the Seniors Tour, Carbonetti came in with a 75.

He made four bogeys and a solitary birdie but thanks to a five shot lead at the start of the day he is still in the hunt.

“I hit a lot of bad drives and did not hole any putts. It was no good today,” said Carbonetti, whose brother Horacio also plays on Tour.

American Jerry Bruner is five behind the leaders while England’s Ian Mosey is stroke further behind.

England’s Carl Mason, the current leader of the Senior Tour Order of Merit, fired a 70 to lie at one under for the tournament. It’s the Englishman’s first event following a two week layoff due to a back injury.